NZTech chief Graeme Muller joins global tech alliance WITSA
The World Information Technology and Services Alliance (WITSA) will be welcoming NZTech CEO Graeme Muller to its ranks, who will provide a new Zealand voice in the global tech board.
Muller will serve on the WITSA's board to help stimulate economic growth and development through ICT investments. He will also serve as a connection point for tech firms around the globe.
Given that ICT challenges are also global in nature, WISTA states that it brings members together to 'achieve a shared vision' on common and important issues facing the industry.
"This is a great channel for helping raise the awareness globally that New Zealand is a leading hi-tech nation. There are huge opportunities for New Zealand tech firms to grow internationally and I will be working to ensure policies and relationships are in place to help them throughout the world," Muller says.
Muller believes that his position and international relationships will also be a key way of helping New Zealand tech further cement its 'advanced' position in the global market.
"The New Zealand tech sector is growing at unprecedented rates and now accounts for 9 percent of GDP and employs 5 percent of the workforce. But the big opportunity is the growth of exports, worth $6.3 billion in 2015 and on track to cross the $10 billion mark by 2018 at current growth rates," Muller says.
"NZTech has been able to expose a number of hi-growth New Zealand tech firms to international recognition with one in particular, ARANZ Medical winning the Global ICT Excellence Award, the equivalent of an Oscar for the tech sector," Muller says.
Statistics from the Technology Investment Network's TIN 100 report state that the 200 leading hi-tech companies in New Zealand have a combined revenue of more than $9.4 billion, an increase of 12% in a single year. The majority of growth comes from heavy hitters like Datacom, Fisher and Paykel, Gallagher Group and Xero.
"We have hundreds of world class tech firms and market leaders, and amazing new successful firms emerging every year. We're really excited about our planning for Techweek 2017. We are pulling together hundreds of tech and innovation conferences, events and activities right across New Zealand for a week in May (6-14) next year. This will be huge," Muller comments.
WITSA is one of the global heavyweights in representing the ICT industry. It includes members from 80 countries, including the likes of Mongolia, Argentina and the US, represent 90% of the entire ICT market.
